Classifier and separator



Nov. 13, 1951 1.. e. M LEAN CLASSIFIER AND SEPARATOR 3 Sheets-Sheet l FilecLApril 18, 1949 INVENTOR. LYLE G. M LEAN ATTORNEY Nov. 13, 1951 G.MCLEAN 2,574,493

CLASSIFIER AND SEPARATOR Filed April 18, 1949 5 sheets-sheet 2 3; N E mlII .n I

9 I kW IN" uh a n N I I )II E U INVENTOR. LYLE G. M LEAN ATTORNEY L. G.M LEAN CLASSIFIER AND SEPARATOR Nov. 13, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 15 FiledApril 18, 1.949

rLE-J' INVENTOR. LYLE 6. IV! LEAN BY A T T O R N EY Patented Nov. 13,1951 UNITED ST TES' FFICE CLASSIFIER AND SEPARATOR Lyle Gordon McLean,Warden, Wash.

Application April 18, 1949, Serial No. 88,125

'7 claims.

from the openings or nozzles in said plate is diifu'se'dbyfthe wipersand screens floating the lighter materials to the top while concentratesravitate to the bottom.

With this present application I add an: improved feature in thedischarging of the concentrates or heavier materials into collectors orreceivers from the gangue or lighter materials The primary object of,this invention is in the method of removing the heavier or concentratedI nateri'al' from the lightmaterials after they have been stratified andconcentrated.

Another object of this, invention is to separate the heaviermaterialfrom the lighter material while all of the materials are infloatation and in their various stratas and movingon a relativelyhorizontal plane. V I

A' further object of thisinvention is to provide a receiving station forthe heavier material so" constructed as to support the lighter materialsabovethe heavier materialswhile the heavier materials are being removedfrom under the said lighter materials.

This is accomplished 'not only" by mechanical meansl' butalso by thecontrolling'of air pres-" sures existing 'under'the materials. Themechanical means consists of a baffle which prevents the light materialsfrom funneling into the receiving station with 'the'heav'ier materials.

A-' still furtherobject of my present invention the provision of meansfor moving or wiping the heavier or concentrated material towards thereceiving or discharge stations for the heavier materials.

With this present application'I also provide stationary screens disposedabove the moving screen to assist in the moving of the granules of thematerial relative to one another as thematerial progresses through themachine, thereby eliminating air pin holes or Icy-passing of the air,insuring a complete stratification of the material, both the stationaryscreen and the moving screen act as bafiles in the stratification by thethe material to pass freely therethrough.

A still further object of this invention is to provide means of cleaningthe air being forced through the materials so that the perforated plateunder the materials will not become clogged.

These and other incidental objects will be apparent in the drawings,specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of my new and improved classifier and separator.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view, taken online 2-2 of Figure 1,indicating the stratification of the heavier material and indicating theremoval of the lighter materials.

Figure 3 is a detail fragmentary plan view of a-preferred form of bafflescreen to be used in connection with my invention, taken on line 3-3 ofFigure 4. V

Figure 4 is a longitudinal, partially in section,

, side view of the machine.

Figure 5 is anend view, partially in' section,

taken on line 5-5 of Figure 4, looking in the direction indicated.

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken through line 56 ofFigure 4, illustrating the concentrate receiving station.

Figure '7 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken on line 'l-l ofFigure 4 illustrating another preferred form of concentrate receivingstation. 7 V

Figure 8 is another preferred form of embodiment relative to the wipingarrangement.

Referring more specifically to the drawings In carrying out the objectsof my present in- I vention I mount a perforated plate I horizontallyupon suitable framework 2, and within a trough 3. The trough 3 consistsof side walls 4, having ends '5 and 6. Cross shafts l and 8 havesprockets 9 keyed theretoaround which the endless chains H! are trained.The endless screen air of the material, these screens allowing.

3 H is secured to these chains, best illustrated in Figures 3, 2 and 4.

Semi-flexible cross wipers [2 are also secured to the said chain It forengaging the surface of the perforated plate I. The screen and wiperassemblies are driven at a very slow rate of speed by the motor l3through the chain M to the shaft 1.

Disposed between the runs and it of the endless screen assembly is ahorizontal screen ll fixedly secured between the side walls i of thetrough 3. The object of the endless screen II, the screen ii and thewipers 12 will be more fully described later on. There may be any numberof these screens, as I do not wish to be limited to the number of them.

Located underneath the perforated plate i are equalizing air chambers IBreceiving a forced air supply from the supply mainfold l9 by way of thecross manifolds 20. A control valve 2| is located within the manifold tocontrol the amount of air delivered from the supply manifold into theair chambers. A vertically mounted pedestal 22 is located centrally ofthe air chambers, the object of which is to disburse the air evenly upinto the air chambers.

Oppositely disposed from the manifold 26 is a dust discharge manifold23, the velocity of the air and dust coming into the air chamber causesthe dust to enter this manifold, after which it is caught in thecontainer 24. A shut off valve 25 is located within this manifold 23 sothat the container 24 can be removed and emptied without interferingwith the operation of the air supply into the air chamber. It is veryimportant that the dust and dirt be removed from the air before reachingthe perforations 25 of the plate I, otherwise these perforations wouldbecome clogged interfering with the complete and smooth operation or"the machine, and permitting continuous operation.

In the operation of the machine sized granulated materials enter themachine by way of the hooper 21. As the materials reach the perforatedplate I the air passing up through the holes 26 floating the materialinto its various strata, depending upon the weight of the materials, asthe air passes up through the material the lighter material rise to thehigher elevation or strata. This is where the screens H and ii come intooperation acting as baffles in the path of the rising granulatedmaterials, the material passing up through the screens separating eachgranule from the other so that pin holes will not be formed in the finermaterials or the air being permitted to pass around the coarsermaterial.

Due to the constant rearranging or jostling of the granules or particlesby-passing through the mesh of the screens, thereby keeping a constantmovement of the said particles relative to one another, insures an evendistribution of the air throughout the material being Stratified.

In the form of the various strata, as the air rises through thematerials, the materials have a tendency to splash into bubbling action.This is further broken up by the action of the screens. In theStratification of dry materials it has been found that when air isapplied under and through the material that said material will flow as aliquid, and as the air is lifting the material into its various stratathe material will flow in the direction of the arrow, similar to aliquid caused by the forcing down of the new material from the hopper27, therefore it is not the intention to move the material with theendless screen Ii,

all)

but merely to cause a constant movement between the granules insuring aneven overall flow of air up through the material causing the floatationof the materials.

When the concentrates, indicated at 28, rest on the perforated plate Ithey are moved in the direction of the arrow over the plate by thewipers l2 underneath the lighter materials towards the receivingstations 29. Located under the stations or receivers 29 are air chambers33, these chambers receive an air supply from the main manifold is, thesame as the air chambers l8 having their individual control valvesassociated therewith. The object of the separate air chambers 38 is tocontrol the amount of air passing up through the openings 3| of theplate I located within the receiving stations 29 in re-- lation to airchambers [8.

Cross baffles or shields triangular in cross section 32 are locatedtransversely above the throats or mouths 33 of the receiving stations,and the object of the cross bafiie is to assist in preventing thelighter materials from running into the throats 33 which are V-shaped incross section while passing over the stations 29. The flowing of thelighter materials into the receiving stations is further prevented byincreasing the air pressure under the receiving stations tending toraise the lighter materials slightly at this point, while the heaviermaterials are being wiped off the plate and from under said lightermaterials into the receiving chambers 29. This action is bestillustrated in Figure 2 and carries out the primary object of thisinvention. It is to be noted that the apexes of the shields are flushwith the bottom wall permitting the wipers to pass thereover.

I illustrate a'screw conveyor 34 for carrying the material out of thereceiving chamber into chutes 35, best illustrated in Figures 2, 4 and6. I also show another form of carrying the materials from the receivingstations in Figure 7 where no screw conveyors are used, but merely ahopper and spout having a valve control 36. The screw conveyors 34 aredriven from the shaft 1 by a system of driving chains 36 bestillustrated in Figure 1.

As in my present pending application, I illustrate a vacuum nozzle 31for removing the upper lighter stratas of material. I provide adjustableseparation gates 38 for controlling the depth of Stratification ofmaterials overflowing into the discharge spout 39. An air chamber 40 islocated under the vacuum nozzle 31 and is for the purpose of maintainingstratification of the materials while the lighter materials are beingremoved by the nozzle 31. The nozzle 31 also has an adjustable tip 31Afor lifting the desired strata of materials.

Referring to Figure 8, I illustrate another referred form of wiper andscreen movement, wherein the screen ll is moved by the connecting rod 42pushing the material in the direction of the arrow over the perforatedplate 2. I merely wish to disclose this method of moving the screen andwipers 43 as an alternate method of moving the concentrates along theperforated plate.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been shownand described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof arepossible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in sofar as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of theappended claims.

What I claim is:

1; A'- classifier and separator comprising a trough having asubstantially horizontally disposed'bottom'wall that is perforatedsubstantially throughoutitsentire area, a supplystation for supplyingmaterial to the trough, receivers longitudinally spaced.- beyond saidsupply station and beneath saidtrough and having mouths opening-throughsaid-'bottom'wall to remove a portion of the material therefrom; aforaminous conveyor operativelymounted longitudinally in the trough foradvancing the material from the supply station along the bottomof thetrough and 'past at least'some of said receivers; means beneath thetrough for supplying air under pressure to the trough and directing theair substantially vertically up through the conveyor and the material tofloat the material and cause the material particles to stratifyaccording to their weight, wiper members transversely of the conveyorand extending substantially to said bottom plate for moving the heavierbottom strata along the bottom plate to said mouths, shields mountedtransversely across and partially covering the open mouths of thereceivers to support and pass over said mouths the stratified top layeror" lighter particles while the heavier particles stratified as thebottom layer flow under the shields into the receiver mouths, and meansbeyond said receivers for removing said stratified top layer from thetrough.

2. A classifier and separator comprising a trough having a substantiallyhorizontally disposed bottom wall that is perforated substantiallythroughout its entire area, a supply station at one end of the troughfor supplying material to the trough, longitudinally spacedsubstantially Vertical receivers depending from the bottom of the troughand having wide mouths opening through the bottom wall to remove aportion of the material therefrom, the walls of said mouths beingperforated; an endless foraminous conveyor operatively mountedlongitudinally in the trough for receiving the material from the supplystation and conveying it onto the bottom of the trough, wipers carried.transversely by the conveyor for moving the material through the trough,means disposed below the bottom of the trough and extending the lengththereof for supplying air under pressure to the trough and mouths fordirecting the air substantially vertically through the conveyor and thematerial to float the material and cause the material particles tostratify according to their weight, shields mounted transversely acrossthe center of the mouths of the receivers and cooperating with the airpassing up through said walls to support and pass over the receivermouths the stratified top layer of lighter particles while the heavierparticles stratified as the bottom layer flow under the shields into thereceiver mouths, and means beyond said receivers for removing saidstratified top layer of the material.

3. A classifier and separator comprising a trough having a horizontallydisposed bottom wall that is perforated substantially throughout itsentire area, a hopper at one end of the trough for supplying material tothe trough, longitudinally spaced vertical receivers depending from thebottom of the trough and having V- shaped mouths opening through thebottom wall to remove a portion of the material therefrom, an endlessforaminous conveyor operatively mounted longitudinally in the trough forreceiving the material from the hopper and conveying :it onto the.bottom: or the trough, wipers carriedtransverselyby the conveyor andextending substantially :into contactwith said bottom; wall formovingthe heavier material through? the trough, means disposedbelowthetbottom'of? thetroughand-extending the length thereof forsupplying air under pressure to the trough and mouths for directing theair'vertically through the conveyorand the material to float thematerialand cause the material particles to stratify according to their weight,shields triangular in cross section mounted transversely across thecenter of the mouths of the receivers, the wallsof the shields slantingin a direction opposite-to theinclineof the mouth-walls,*said mouthwalls being perforated to permit air under pressure to converge relativeto said shields, whereby the lighter particles forming the stratifiedtop layer are supported by the shields and pass over the mouths of thereceivers while the heavier particles forming the stratified bottomlayer flow under the edges of the walls of the shields into the receivermouths, the upper portions of the shields being in the same horizontalplane as the bottom wall so that the edges of the wipers can freely passthereover, and means beyond said receivers for removing the top layer ofthe material.

4. A classifier and separator comprising a trough having a horizontallydisposed bottom wall that is perforated substantially throughout itsentire area, a hopper at one end of the trough for supplying material tothe trough, longitudinally spaced vertical receivers depending from thebottom of the trough and having V-shaped mouths opening through thebottom wall to remove a portion of the material therefrom, an endlessioraminous conveyor operatively mounted longitudinally in the trough forreceiving the material from the hopper and conveying it onto the bottomof the trough and having spaced upper and lower flights, wipers carriedtransversely by the conveyor for moving the material through the troughand agitating the material, means disposed below the bottom wall andextending the length thereof for supplying air under pressure to thetrough and directing the air vertically through the conveyor andmaterial to float the material and cause the material particles tostratify according to their weight, a foraminous screen mounted acrosssaid trough between the flights of the conveyor and retarding thepassage of the air to prevent rapid exhaustion thereof, shieldstriangular in cross section mounted transversely across the center ofthe mouths of the receivers, the walls of the shields slanting in adirection opposite to the incline of the walls of the mouths, said mouthwalls being perforated to permit air under pressure to converge relativeto the shields whereby the stratifled top layer of lighter particles issupported by said shields and pass over the receiver mouths while theheavier particles stratified as the bottom layer flow under the edges ofthe shield walls into the receiver mouths, and means beyond saidreceivers for removing the top layer of the material.

5. A classifier and separator as defined in claim 1, wherein said airsupplying means includes means directing air up through said receivermouths.

6. A classifier and separator as definedin claim 2 wherein said airsupplying means includes separate means for directing air up throughsaid bottom plate and through said mouth walls respectively.

7. A classifier and separator as defined in claim 3 wherein said airsupplying means includes separate supplying means for each of saidreceiver mouths and for the areas of said bottom plate between saidreceiver mouths respectively.

LYLE GORDON McLEAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Fraser et a1. Apr. 21, 1925 Number Number NameDate Davis Sept. 3, 1931 Clark Nov. 10, 1931 Fraser July 9, 1935 Bird eta1 Mar. 23, 1937 Stump July 13, 1937 Fraser Mar. 10, 1942 Kendall et a1.Dec. 1, 1942 Stump Oct. 19, 1943 Tessin July 13, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTSCountry Date Great Britain Oct. 12, 1936

